The Mehta Family Scholarship was established by Kunj and Nalini Mehta, who have been living in Parkersburg since 1968. Their two children — Nimish, a pediatrician and emergency medicine physician, and Rahul, a writer and educator — are both graduates of Parkersburg High School.

Born in Gujarat, India, Kunj Mehta came to the United States in 1962 at age 18 to attend university. He earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla (now the Missouri University of Science and Technology). He started working at Union Carbide in Sistersville in 1969 and has continued to work at the same plant through various changes of ownership. Nalini Mehta earned B.A. degrees in Sociology and Psychology and in Library Science from Bombay University in Mumbai, India. She immigrated to the United States after marrying Kunj, and she worked for twenty-five years as a reference librarian at the Parkersburg and Wood County Public Library. 

Kunj and Nalini were inspired to establish the fund because of their passionate belief in the power of education to impact lives, create opportunities, and expand possibilities. They are grateful to the Parkersburg region for the happy and rewarding life they were able to build here. Having achieved many of their dreams, they hope this scholarship will support others on their journey to achieving theirs. 

The scholarship will be awarded each year to one graduating senior who is embarking on their first year of postsecondary education, which could include enrolling in a two-year college, a four-year college, or vocational school. The primary criteria for the scholarship is financial need and a desire to further one’s education.